It’s been a while since we blogged last, and we’re sorry about the silence. But, we have indeed been quite busy developing Wreckfest to be all it can be, and we’ve made huge progress in these past months. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach a build that would be releaseworthy before the holidays are upon us.

Allow us to go into detail:

We have introduced several features to our internal build, and all of them have made Wreckfest a better experience.

Disabling resets? You got it.

Changing cars and tracks in the lobby so you don’t have to quit every time you want to shuffle things up a bit? Yep, that’s in the game as well now.

AI cars in multiplayer races, both LAN and online, to create some extra havoc? Damn straight.

Class restrictions so that you can limit the power of the cars in the race? That’s there, too.

Server filters, so you can find the type of game and track you want? Yessirree bob, we deliver.

Improved tire physics? Looking good!

Improved suspension physics? Yes, well, there’s the rub

As it is, Wreckfest is absolutely taking several good sized leaps compared to what the previous build could and does offer, but we couldn’t nail the suspension physics down just yet. We’re really close, oh so close, but… Well, not close enough. Simply put, the cars can’t handle jumps or bounces very well, and even the slightest bump can launch your car into the air just like from a catapult. It’s like… It’s like driving a car with superballs instead of tires! If we released this new build now, we’d be introducing all kinds of sweet and cool features to the game while taking a big step backwards when it comes to actually driving the cars.

We can’t have that.

So, we will not release the new build in time for the holidays. We are really sorry about this, but them’s the breaks. The new build will see the light of day early next year, and we promise you, it’ll be worth the wait.

A full changelist will be available with the update, but here are the most important changes:

New simulator-grade physics engine with advanced tire and suspension geometry simulation.
New DirectX 11 rendering engine with realistic physically based materials and lighting.
64-bit operating system support for optimal performance on modern computer systems.
Hardware MSAA anti-aliasing with advanced foliage transparency antialiasing.
Dedicated server for optimized multiplayer performance with command-line and remote configuration features.
Steam leaderboards and player statistics for tracking and comparing performance with other players.
Support for changing the track and the car in lobby as well as adding bots to multiplayer events.
New game modes Team Race and Elimination Race, guaranteed to provide explosive racing action for 2-4 teams.
One new track and another one completely overhauled.
Two new cars, an American and a European one.

- Added new game mode: Team Race (2-4 teams).
- Added new game mode: Elimination Race (2-4 teams).
- Car is now slowed down and a HUD indicator shown when driving the wrong way / missing a checkpoint.
- Implement race statistics collecting (per car stats accessible from car selector, per track stats from event selection).
- Replay now tracks whether tires are lost or still attached.
- Fixed an issue in which damage would occasionally carry over to single player after exiting a multiplayer game.
- Increased maximum number of laps to 60 (replay may be cut short though).
- Implemented more accurate lap time measurement.
- Added Steam leaderboards.

- Redline and max RPM in tachometer are now dynamic based on the engine.
- Disabled shoddy looking RPM meter needle smoothing.
- Split time to player in front of the player is now shown at certain split points during races.
- Concise race standings are now shown in HUD during races.
- Race winner is now shown in HUD.
- In-race results overlay now always shows the top positions in addition to the player's.
- In-race results overlay is now accessible in photo/replay/spectate modes.
- Fixed various problems with in-game HUD in replay.
- Added an option to hide HUD during races.
- Player name overlay can be now hidden directly from replay UI.
- Added photo mode hotkeys to cycle between car targets.
- Graphics options are now adjustable from in-game settings menu.
- Improved launcher layout for 720p screens.
- Launcher is now not shown if settings loading succeeds.
- Fixed a bug affecting primary graphics adapter detection.
- Implemented scalable distance field fonts for use with new future UI.
- Implemented borderless window mode for native full-screen resolution window.
- Window should now remain mostly responsive during loading screens.
- Kicking/banning is now possible with right-click context menu in lobby and in-race results overlay.
- Input fields now support cursor movement for editing.

Multiplayer:

- Implemented an option to change the track and other event settings in lobby.
- Added an option to change the car and upgrades in lobby, with the car taken to a pit area.
- Added an option to spectate a race in progress from lobby.
- Implemented full photo mode instead of just track side camera in post-race spectator mode.
- Host can now add AI bots (bots will make room for humans on a full server if the race has not started yet).
- Added server filtering options.
- Remaining laps or time left is now shown in server browser when a race is in progress.
- Implemented chat in respawn screen, spectator mode as well as during and after race (default key to activate ingame is Enter).
- Added an option to game settings to disable in-race chat.
- A speech bubble icon in now shown in lobby next to players that are currently typing a chat message.
- Added an option for a player to change their team (max 12 players per team).
- Added a host option to limit car class.
- Added a host option to force same car model as host.
- Added a host option to disable car resets.
- Added a host option to set a custom server name.
- Added a host option to set a welcome message (displayed when a client joins).
- Implemented a vote kick/ban system.
- Added an option to promote other players to moderators (can kick and ban) and admins (can adjust event/rules).
- Third ban to same player results in the ban being automatic in subsequent games on the same host.
- Players can retire from race in the pause menu (useful e.g. when hopelessly in a ditch on a no-reset server).
- Lost tires are now synced from server.
- Fixed wrong gear on clients after car reset or new race.
- Fixed bugs in results calculation.
- Improved client-side prediction.
- Various server side fixes.

Dedicated Server:

- Implemented first version of dedicated server (the server runs without a Steam account and uses considerably less RAM and CPU than the full game).
- Implemented command line configuration.
- Implemented remote configuration through game client with lobby UI and/or chat commands.

Another update for Wreckfest is out, addressing a couple of critical multiplayer issues, improving as well as stabilizing performance on most systems and increasing the level of visual damage in addition to a few other improvements.

Please find the changelog here:
Reduced micro-stuttering when no V-Sync is being used.
Improved performance and framerate stability on most systems.
Fixed non-working gameplay damage on the dedicated server.
Server no longer crashes when the event ends while a client is in the pause menu.
Visual damage is now more intense and panels get detached easier.
AI now resets when its stuck on its side for prolonged periods.
Improved vehicle materials.
Tweaked camera shake.
Thanks for your feedback!

Wreckfest returns with a new engine,
more spectacular crashes than ever

Helsinki, Finland - July 28, 2015 - We're honoured to let you know that the transition to our new engine is now complete and the upgraded version of the game is available on Steam right now.

Thanks to our overhauled tire and suspension simulation model and the new next-generation DirectX 11 rendering engine you will be now able to enjoy more immersive racing experience than ever before, beautifully recreated with physically-based materials and lighting. We've also taken our vehicle damage simulation to the new level, so from now on you will be able to witness cars being brutally torn to pieces in unparalleled level of detail and quality. The update also introduces several engine optimizations to make sure you can enjoy the full glory of demolition racing in furious 24-player multiplayer games, something that only WRECKEST can offer. And that's not all: The latest version of the game features great new content such as cars and tracks as well as numerous improvements on all fronts as requested by our very own racing community.

We want to take this moment to thank you for the incredible support we have received during the Early Access phase of our game. This latest release of the game is not the end of the journey but the beginning, and thanks to you we now have a great base upon which we can build the game by adding more features and content as well as improving what we already have in order to make WRECKFEST the unrivalled racing experience that YOU want.

Gameplay:
Added a new game mode: Sprint Cup, consisting of 3 heats of 2 lap races.
Added basic part durability mechanic: parts now wear with use, lowering performance.
AI opponents are now picked based on player's car class.
Added a set of new AI opponents with different cars.
Enabled ABS & TCS helpers in multiplayer.
Fixed team race lap position points awarding.
Improve lost tire and damage tracking in replay.
Improved gamepad controls.
Upgrading:
Implemented a new (placeholder) upgrading menu.
Added a whole host of new vehicle parts.
Implemented a placeholder marketplace.

User Interface:
Improved chat functionality.
Added an alert when a multiplayer event is about to start.
Implemented more accurate option sliders when using a controller.

General:
Game should no longer crash while chatting in spectate mode.
Reduced and unified vehicle part wear rates across the board.
European 1 is now less prone to rolling over.
Added proper material to Mixed 1 arm-cos.
Fixed various graphical glitches on Tarmac 2.
Resurrected backfire effect (American 2 pending).

IMPORTANT NOTE: To prevent glitches and ensure full compatibility all user save data and settings was reset. For compensation everyone now gets 5000 credits when starting the career.

Hotfix 2015-11-24

General:
Car part changes and market purchases are now no longer cancelled for any reason, including event change.
It is not longer possible to wreck the lawn mower after finishing the race.
Marketplace is now restocked after each multiplayer event.
AI is now using the same tires as the player to prevent unfair handicap.
Upgrade selection menu now displays up-to-date parts when leaving marketplace.
Dedicated server event start timer length doubled (to 60 seconds) to allow more fitting time.
When entering lobby loading screen is now displayed until cars are loaded to avoid lag.
American 4 stock gearbox now only has four gears as designed.
Implemented missing backfire effect on American 2.
Fixed various parts that had incorrect durability.